On Nov. 29th, the girls’ varsity basketball team won their preseason game against Analy High School. With a fierce comeback in the second half of the game, the Giants’ determination and grit for one another allowed them to pull through. Analy High School proved to be tough, giving the girls an opportunity to learn from the mistake of a slow start. 

 The first quarter was just that, ending with a score of 8-9. Due to their weak start, the girls displayed anxiety on the court throughout the second quarter, resulting in the score of 14-25. Junior Anaru “Ru” Todd explained the dip in Redwood’s points as a delay of spirit. 

“Our biggest mistake was starting off with low energy, I think we need to figure out how to start out with tons of energy rather than generating it down the stretch,” Todd said. 

The turning point was midway through the third quarter, when the team came out with increased stamina backed by cheers of encouragement from the bench. Sophomore Maya Saibel expanded on the difficulties of the first half and how they worked to counteract them in the second.

“At first, our offense was unorganized; we should have capitalized more on their mistakes,” Saibel said. “When we picked up the energy halfway through the third [quarter it] really helped us pull away.”

The team was motivated and on fire during the fourth quarter, and made sure not to crack under pressure despite Analy’s lead in points. Their steady comeback throughout the last eight minutes finally exploded with multiple shots towards the close of the game from Saibel, Todd, Ingrid Houtkooper and Kitty White. The score reflected this momentum, shooting from 29-38 in the third quarter to an ultimate 54-47 win.

Saibel, in preparation for the start of their Marin County Athletic League (MCAL) games, is focused on improving team strategies in time for the increased competition.

“We need to work on fouling less, and though we’re a pretty good second-half team, we have some work to be consistent with our energy throughout MCAL games,” Saibel said. 

Both Todd and Saibel are anticipating the start to the MCAL season, opening with a high stakes game against San Marin in less than one week. 

“We play San Marin next Tuesday. It’s going to be a really big game for us because they are one of the most competitive teams in the league,” Todd said.

The MCAL season will begin at San Marin on Dec. 6th. For a home game experience, join the girls’ varsity team against Tamalpais on Dec. 16th for an exciting night!